Paris Couture Week opened tonight with Donatella Versace's regular tribute to The Goddess.

Officially, Grace Jones was the muse. Hers was the name on the pre-show notes. Perhaps Versace was hedging its bets in case Gaga was a no-show. But she turned up early, sporting a duplicate sparkly, black hood from next season's collection and dutifully posed with the designer before quietly settling down to watch as Donatalla Versace unleashed a procession of red carpet scene-stealers in her Atelier Versace spring/summer show.

This made-to-measure, money-no-object line, like other couture labels, has, throughout the recession, seen business rise as smoothly as its seams. There is no need to rock this particular boat then, which is why Versace stuck to what she does best: glamour, with an extra side serving of glamour.

But credit where it's due. Within the constraints of her self-imposed brief, Versace had a stab at pushing a few boundaries. "I love to combine the traditions of couture with the daring of contemporary life," she explained before the show. "I like a woman to look controlled and elegant, but also for her to have a provocative attitude". Hence presumably, the embellishments that looked like skin tattoos.

Sculpted, draped and contoured, Versace's floor length silk jersey dresses were an interesting clash of approaches, which at strategic moments appeared to be attempting to reconcile various modesty issues. Other dresses dispensed with this complex puzzle however, deciding it was more fun simply to show as much flesh as legally possible.

Those attached, Gaga-esque hoods, were a miracle of ambiguity. This, Versace said, was where she'd taken a leaf from Grace Jones's style manual. But it's very easy to see more contemporary performers such as Rihanna, Beyoncé and possibly even Miley, embracing them at the next VH1 Awards. Then again, those hoods could also work a treat for a Middle Eastern princess - a savvy, commercial move on Versace's part, since the latter still constitute the largest buying bloc around these parts, notwithstanding the flashy grandstanding of some of the Russian "dollygarchs".

From the neckline down these gowns, some slashed, some plunging, others semi-transparent, became progressively more daring. Smothered with Swarovski crystals, slashed or wafty, in the grand Versace tradition, all of them defined the waist - and any other feminine curve worth highlighting.

That's sensible, too. With new designers attempting to hitch their variable talents to couture's venerable wagon by staging shows slotted in between far more famous names this week, it's increasingly important that established labels reiterate their strengths. For Versace, that means reminding the world that during the month leading up to the Oscars and Baftas, it is, as far as the nominees are concerned, the world's fourth emergency service.

With the possible exception of Armani, whose couture show is Tuesday night, Versace has dressed more stars than any other label. Need a sexy gown to razzle dazzle them - one with a hood? You know who to call.